تغييرات پارامترهاي حركتي و ريخت شناسي ناشي از اثرات سمي فلز كادميمي بر اسپرم

Morphology and motility changes of sperm due to exposure to cadmium

Background and aim: Contamination of the ecosystems by industrial and agricultural pollutants has been a major recent concern. Recent rapid industrialization in developed and even developing countries and the resultant high demands for industrial products has led to heavy metals pollution. The bioaccumulation of metals in food chain and ultimately in human body could exert deleterious effects on the human health and especially on the sperm quality and quantity. This study was conducted to examine the morphological changes and motility parameters disturbances of sperm due to cadmium exposure. Method: Sperms were incubated with different concentrations of cadmium, then fixed with glutaraldehyde, dehydrated with sucrose and fixed again with osmium tetraoxide, dehydrated with acetone and morphological changes of the sperms were viewed by scanning elctromicroscopy. Results: The results showed that cadmium at concentrations higher than 10 ppm insert extensive morphological effects on the sperms (mainly enlarging spermʹs head), so that they cannot swim freely and fertilized ova. Mean percent of abnormal sperms were 80, 100 and 100 percents for 10, 50 and 100 ppm cadmium concentrations. Also, cadmium decreased sperm motility even at 100 ppm with almost complete cessation of movement at 200 ppm and above. Conclusion: Chronic exposure to cadmium disturbs motility parameters of sperm and causes extensive morphological changes and enlargement of its head, so that the sperm cannot enter ovum.